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ANIMAL WATCH - Cockfighting may be one step closer to being outlawed—and eventually abolished—in any U.S. territory, as Wayne Pacelle, President of Animal Wellness Action (AWA) and the Center for Humane Economics, shared in a media advisory this week, titled, Federal Courts Close One Last Door on Legal Cockfighting in Our Nation, meaning that the real efforts to protect animals in areas essentially governed by--but physically separated from--the continental U.S. is just beginning.”
The United States of America has 50 states but it also has five territories, which are self-governing, but are under the laws of the U.S.; that is, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. (The Republic of the Philippines was a U.S. territory from 1898 until 1946, when it became an independent nation.)
FEDERAL COURTS CLOSE ONE LAST DOOR ON LEGAL COCKFIGHTING IN OUR NATION
The recent decision by the federal District Court resulted from a lawsuit filed by former CNMI (Northern Marianas Islands) House representative Andrew Salas seeking to reverse the ban, due to cockfighting being “an important cultural and political activity throughout the islands that had been wrongfully prohibited”.
This court decision, issued last week, affirmed the ban on cockfighting in Northern Marianas, citing concerns about animal welfare.
LAWSUIT CALLED COCKFIGHTING A “CULTURAL AND POLITICAL ACTIVITY”
Congress is not precluded from passing legislation affecting the internal affairs of the CNMI, US Circuit Judge Lucy Koh wrote in the ruling, explaining that “the federal government's interests in animal welfare and controlling the spread of avian flu outweighs any degree of intrusion into the territory's internal affairs.”
Former House representative Andrew Salas, in an earlier lawsuit, called cockfighting “an important cultural and political activity throughout the islands that had been wrongfully prohibited by the Agriculture Improvement Act. He also claimed this “goes against the covenant that allows the territory a unique level of self-governance.”
Part of the Agriculture Improvement Act, however, banned all forms of animal fighting throughout the 50 states and its territories in 2018.
As cockfighting had already been outlawed in all states by 2008, Salas said the act “targeted the territories.”
A federal judge dismissed the case in November 2022, finding federal interests in animal welfare and interstate commerce outweighed intrusion on the commonwealth's internal affairs. Salas then appealed to the Ninth Circuit.
"The court's ruling is obviously a disappointment, but here in the CNMI we've known for a long time that the defence of our right to self-government is a long, rough road, so in that sense it isn't really a surprise," Salas' attorney Joseph Horey said.
WHY SO MUCH CROWING OVER COCKFIGHTING?
Cockfighting is an ancient spectator sport. There is evidence that cockfighting was a pastime in the Indus Valley civilization in South Asia, and lasting from 3300 BC to 1300 BC, according to Wikipedia. The “sport” was popular in ancient times in India, China, Persia, and other Eastern countries and was introduced into Ancient Greece in the time of Themistocles (c. 524–460 BC). It is deeply entrenched in certain rural areas of the U.S., where entire cities grew around makeshift cockfighting arenas.
It has served many purposes, from being a religiously symbol to now a major source of gambling revenue, and, most recently it has caused a huge increase in on-line betting by youth, which can be traced electronically and should be of concern to parents.
During the pandemic era, the Phillipines Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) reported an average contribution from cockfighting to the government at P400 million per month provided by E- sabong, the online version of cockfighting that contributed to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.: {Note: PHP to USD at the real exchange rate: 1,000,000 php. Converted to. 17,852.70 usd)
However, it also resulted in a moral breakdown of the country, in addition to the acceptance and approval of cruelty to animals. Law-enforcement officers charged with stopping crime became obsessed with on-line gambling on simulated cockfights and finally missing person reports remained unsolved regarding 36 individuals involved in the industry.
CLOSE TO HOME, COCKFIGHTING MAKES CA HEADLINES” “FBI says San Bernardino property hosted animal fights”
According to the L. A. Times report this week: “A year-long investigation by federal agents resulted in the arrest of California organizers of a cockfighting operation where dozens of people openly gathered.”
The arrests of four suspects took place in Muscoy, which is about six miles north of San Bernardino, according to a news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Central District office.
COCKFIGHTING - HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
Prosecutors said that the months-long investigation had determined that the illegal events were regularly held on Sundays during “cockfighting season,” which is from January to August, with owners of the birds charged $1,000 to enter four roosters into fights during the event.
“Before the fights, traditional sharp blades, known as ‘gaffs’ were secured to each rooster’s legs, with fights usually ending with the death of one or both of the birds,”
Also, as many as 100 spectators attended the events, paying $20 to park a mile away and be shuttled to the arena area, where another $40 was collected for entry to where bets could be placed or raffle tickets purchased.
Four suspects, ranging from 51 to 61-years old were arrested at the scene and formal charges were later filed against them and one more person for aiding, abetting, inducing and willfully causing another person to sponsor and exhibit an animal in an animal-fighting venture.
The arrests, according to a news release by the U.S. Attorney, occurred Sunday, when visitors arrived with their money and/or roosters.
The culmination of a nearly yearlong FBI investigation led to the arrests of Isidro Chaparro Sanchez, 59, of Corona; Luis Octavio Angulo, 61, of Rialto; Sergio Jimenez Maldonado, 51, of San Bernardino; and Eva Anilu Pastor Uriostegui, 53, of Moreno Valley, who allegedly organized and ran the cockfighting events in Muscoy, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Each made an initial court appearance Thursday in Riverside and was ordered released on bond.
The FBI had been investigating the cockfighting enterprise since May 2023, C.J. Sanders, a special agent for the bureau, said in an affidavit. Sanders said two confidential sources infiltrated events during “cockfighting season” this year.
Among those arrested, authorities say Sanchez made the property available for the fights, collected entry fees and made announcements during events; Alcantar made a lot available for attendee parking; Uriostegui collected entry fees and served drinks at the bar; Angulo collected the entry fees from handlers entering their roosters; and Maldonado refereed the fights.
INTERSTATE TRAFFICKING OF ROOSTERS FOR FIGHTING
One of the FBI’s confidential sources, reported that it was believed the hosts of the events took in $80,000 to $90,000 per month.
Another had reportedly recorded a call to a man who said he owns about 100 roosters, which he brought to California from Texas, according to the affidavit.
(Note: Animal Wellness Action states it has made repeated pleas to the U.S. Postal Service to not accept chickens or roosters being flown to Guam or other areas within or outside the U.S. for breeding and cockfighting, but, thus far, he has received no positive response.)
The cockfighting operation started at the property in 2022, according to the report. If convicted, each of the defendants could face up to five years in prison, according to the United States Attorney's Office
MONTEREY COUNTY, CA, COCKFIGHTING INVESTIGATION –350 BIRDS SEIZED
According to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office a tip about a cockfighting operation led deputies to serve a search warrant on March 24, 2024, at a property on the 600 block of San Juan Grade Road, where code enforcement and Monterey County SPCA employees assisted in removing a total of 350 roosters, hens and chicks were seized along with “evidence commonly associated with breeding and training roosters for fighting.”
The birds were then turned over to the SPCA for euthanasia because they are too dangerous to handle due to being bred from very aggressive bloodlines, and it is important not to endanger employees and potential adopters. (Anyone who has attempted to negotiate with an angry or unhappy fighting cock can understand the need for safety.)
Along with the birds, numerous code enforcement violations were found on the property, according to the sheriff's office.
Deputies also contacted a 73-year-old man identified as Jose Francisco Gaitan of Salinas , who was also identified with the activities at the property. According to Monterey CBS affiliate KION-TV, the man was not arrested but the Sheriff's Office has forwarded a request for charges to the Monterey Co. District Attorney's Office.
While it is important that we stop any involvement with animal crimes in other countries and territories, it is also vital that we stop the transfer of animals anywhere for involvement in blood sports or any criminal activity. Suspicion of cockfighting or dog fighting (or any animal cruelty/neglect) also should be immediately reported to local law-enforcement agencies.
These cruel criminal activities do not just affect the animals, but also—as in this case—they can bring strangers into a previously safe community for criminal purposes, endangering all residents and, especially, children and pets, who should not be exposed to even the sounds of animals fighting or being otherwise harmed.
As laws continue to be passed and the message of the importance of humane treatment of animals is spread on a major scale by such organizations as Animal Wellness Action, we can influence the present and the future and close all legal doors to cruelty..
See also: Cockfighting is Big Business in CA --A Growing Danger Worldwide
(Phyllis M. Daugherty is a former Los Angeles City employee, an animal activist and a contributor to CityWatch.)
